Musciame facts for kids
| Alternative names |
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|---|---|
| Type | preserved meat |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | |
| Invented | traditional |
| Main ingredients |
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| Variations | Musciame di tonno |
Musciame or mosciame is a traditional Italian preserved meat. It was made from the salted and sun-dried meat of dolphins. It looked black, almost like a piece of burned wood hanging from a string. Sailors and fishermen from the coast of Liguria and Versilia in Italy used to make it. However, because of European laws, it is no longer allowed to be made or sold today. There is a similar product in Sicily made from tuna fish, often called "mosciame di tonno." This is much like the mojama de atún from Spain.
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How Was Musciame Made?
Musciame was made by sailors and fishermen right on their ships. They worked along the coasts of Liguria and Versilia in north-west Italy. First, they would take strips of dolphin meat and add salt to them. Then, they would hang the meat from a mast on the ship. The meat would dry in the sun for about a week. The finished musciame looked like a small, burned log. The meat was black and would become very hard if kept for a long time.
Why is Dolphin Musciame Illegal Now?
It is now against the law to sell or make musciame from dolphins in Italy. This is because hunting dolphins on purpose is forbidden by laws like the Habitats Directive from the European Union. Dolphins are protected animals. It is illegal to buy, sell, or get dolphin meat. In 2014, authorities found and stopped people trying to secretly sell dolphin musciame in a restaurant. Sadly, some people still try to make musciame from dolphins illegally, even though it is against the law.
How Was Musciame Eaten?
Musciame was a common food for sailors from Liguria. They would eat it with ship's biscuit, which is a very hard cracker. They softened the biscuit with sea-water and vinegar. They also ate it with vegetables. Musciame is eaten in very thin slices. You can simply add olive oil to it. It can also be served on slices of tomato or with boiled beans and onion. If the meat was too hard, it needed to be soaked in cold water for a few hours to soften it.
Musciame Made from Tuna
Since dolphin musciame is illegal, people can enjoy a similar food called musciame di tonno. This version is made from tuna fish. It is prepared during the summer months. Strips of tuna meat are salted and then dried. They can be sun-dried, smoked, or often dried in a warm oven.
